10 Best DSLR cameras in India| DSLR Camera Buying Guide

The advent of technology has brought us advancements in all aspects of our lives. On the one hand, we have technology that has brought us driverless cars, and on the other hand, we have digital cameras so advanced that their resolution rivals that of the human eye, which is no simple feat.

The term DSLR stands for Digital Single-Lens Reflex. The technology combines optics with a digital image sensor and maintains the old-fashioned SLR romance that our fathers and fathers love. There’s also the added benefit of unlimited storage, which eliminates the old “movie” problem.

DSLRs are different from the generic digital cameras of old. They have advantages over speed, higher ISO range, viewfinder, interchangeable lenses, editing options, and low-light photography capabilities, to name a few.

If you are about to buy a DSLR in India, it makes sense to invest better. With a good camera, anyone can develop their photography skills. From a birthday party to a wedding to a trip to Goa, you can take it anywhere and capture the amazing moments of your life.

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10 Best DSLR cameras Review

Best DSLR Brands in India

Here we have put together a list of the reputed DSLR brands available in India so you can make an informed decision and get a reliable DSLR camera for yourself!

1. Canon

Canon is a world famous manufacturer of cameras. It came into being in 1937. The Japanese company manufactures different kinds of cameras. It also manufactures other related equipment. Their products include high quality DSLR cameras, camcorders and lenses.

They offer different series of cameras. These are suitable for professional as well as personal use. Canon cameras are highly in demand in the Indian market. They come with several features and capture amazing shots.

The company manufactures medical equipment too. Photocopiers and computer printers are also made available by the brand.

2. Nikon

This is yet another Japanese company. It manufactures and sells high quality cameras. It has years of experience in imaging and optics products. The company offers wide variety of cameras as well as imaging lenses. It also offers binoculars and microscopes. It has launched several series of cameras ever since its inception.

Many of these became extremely popular in the Indian market. The Coolpix series was one such digital camera series by Nikon. Its digital cameras are highly in demand around the world.

3. Sony

Japan is undoubtedly the world leader when it comes to manufacturing high tech devices. No wonder, the third brand on our list also hails from Japan. Sony is known for manufacturing various electronic items. High quality digital cameras are one of them.

The company offers variety of cameras equipped with the latest technology. These are powered by superb LCD display. These are also loaded with numerous features. Sony cameras capture high quality images. Moreover, these are easy to use.

4. Panasonic

Panasonic Corporation is yet another Japanese company. It deals in variety of electronic items. The company came into being in 1918. Its headquarters are in Kadoma, Japan. It has a strong foothold in the Indian market.

For a company that began with the manufacturing of light bulb this one has come a long way. It is known for offering high quality D SLR cameras. One of the first D SLR series by the brand was the Lumix series. It became a rage among the photography lovers.

5. Olympus

Olympus is another famous camera brand in India. The Japanese company manufactures reprography and optics products. It offers wide variety of high quality digital cameras and lenses. It also manufactures microscopes, thermometers and other essential laboratory equipment.

Its cameras are especially popular in the Indian market. The brand is also doing great globally. Its cameras are known for their advance features. Some of these features include Wifi, GPS and advanced zoom. Besides, they come with the latest iHS technology.

6. FujiFilm

FujiFilm is one of the first camera manufacturers to enter the Indian market. The Japanese photography company is famous for its high quality digital cameras. It also manufactures wide variety of other things. This includes medical imaging and diagnostics equipment among others.

Its cameras boast of capturing high quality images. They come with several features that add to the whole photography experience. These cameras are durable. Moreover, they come at a reasonable price.

7. Pentax

Pentax came into being in the year 1919. It has gradually made a place in the Indian market. It manufactures top quality cameras in different range. The company also manufactures binoculars, spectacle lenses and various other optical instruments. Its digital single lens reflex camera series is particularly popular.

This is mainly because its lens technology is superb. This enables capturing excellent images. Pentax is undoubtedly giving a tough competition to top brands such as Nikon and Canon.

8. Samsung

Samsung is a South Korean electronics company. It manufactures high quality electronic items. The brand is quite popular in the Indian market. It has a huge loyal customer base.

Just as other electronic items offered by Samsung, its cameras have also been received well in our country. This is mainly owing to their high technology and variety of features. The popularity of these cameras is only increasing with time.

9. Casio

Casio is a famous Japanese brand. It came into being in 1946. Its headquarters are in Shibuy, Tokyo. The company manufactures variety of watches, mobile phones and musical instruments.

It also manufactures and sells wide range of digital cameras. It was in fact one of the first brands to come up with a digital camera. Casio digital cameras boast of high quality optics. They have been designed to capture things with precision.

10. Kodak

Kodak is an American brand. It is one of the first camera brands to hit the Indian market. Its conventional cameras were a rage in the market. Its digital cameras have also become equally popular.

The company manufactures wide range of digital cameras. Its cameras use advance technology. They come with variety of features. Moreover, they are available at affordable price. All this contributes to the popularity of these cameras in the Indian market.

The Buyer’s Guide

Smartphones have had a remarkable impact on our daily lives in the 12 years since the first iPhone was introduced. The not so easily visible but very significant change is that Indians have taken to photography in droves.

DSLR is a Digital SLR or single-lens reflex camera. It provides the best possible pictures and is immensely flexible.

There are two main characteristics of a DSLR (a plain SLR that uses films is no longer available in the open market but only as collector’s item) –

• They can adjust various parameters such as focus, exposure, etc.
• The lens is interchangeable. You can fit many lenses (macro, prime, telephoto, wide-angle) on your camera.

This is really important because Bridge Cameras that usually cost much less in India than a DSLR can provide adjustments, but you cannot change the lens.

Depending on what you are capturing – sports, wildlife, landscape, sunset, indoors, portrait, garden, there are many types of specialized lenses available that make a picture more appealing.

What is Single Lens Reflex (SLR)?

If you are using a simple point and shoot such as Canon IXUS 190, how do you view shooting? Through the LCD screen, of course.

But look at the camera carefully. The image you see on the screen is sort of the same but not identical to the frame that the camera captures. The light that enters the lens is not the one that finds its way to the LCD screen. More expensive point and shoots do a good job but not as well as a DSLR.

In a DSLR, the light that enters the lens is bent through a mirror to travel to the viewfinder, where you see the frame precisely as the front-most element of the lens sees it.

And it is expensive because, at the moment of capturing the shot, the mirror moves out of the way, allowing light to reach the sensor. This is what is the “reflex” is about.

You may ask why not split the light into two parts and travel to the sensor and one to the viewfinder.

A valid question and some of the more expensive point and shoots try this technique or some version of it.

The problem with this arrangement being – the amount of light reaching the sensor would then be halved, and all the equations of photography would have to be recalibrated.

Features of DSLR

An inexpensive DSLR such as Nikon D3400 with a standard “kit lens” (the primary all-rounder lens many basic DSLR cameras include) is priced at around INR 35,000 in India.

Compare this to a premium point and shoot such as Sony CyberShot DSC W830 that costs INR 7,000 or a top-end Bridge Camera such as Canon PowerShot SX540HS that is priced at INR 18,450, and you begin to understand that DSLRs are special.

A good quality mass-produced DSLR such as Nikon D850 would cost INR 210,000 (body only)! Important to note at this time – a DSLR does not come with a lens. It is only the body that is sold.

A kit lens is bundled with many models. The D3400 mentioned above comes with an AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR kit lens. You can swap it out for another if you wish.

What Makes a DSLR Expensive?

APS-C vs. Full Frame vs. Micro 4/3 Sensor Size by Surface Area

A full-frame camera has a sensor that is the same size as the 35 mm film they replaced. The sensor measures 36 mm x 24 mm. An APS-C camera has a sensor that is 22 mm x 15 mm.

What is the difference? The full-frame sensor has a surface area of 864 sq mm, and the APS-C has 330 sq mm. In other words, the full-frame sensor is at least 2.5 times bigger.

More surface area means more light. That always translates to a better image. If both types of sensors have the same number of pixels, then each pixel is bigger and better in a full-frame.

A few of the key benefits include – better low light performance, less distortion, a better dynamic range of colours. There are other differences, as well. They are capable of sharper images and a wider angle of view.

What are the downsides? The full-frame camera is usually far more expensive. It is also relatively new. Only recently have camera makers concentrated on full frames.

A full-frame camera also is much larger. APS-C is more manageable. A larger camera also means a bigger lens, and many find full-frames to be unwieldy, especially if they are beginners.

An even smaller sensor measuring 18 mm x 13.5 mm called Micro Four Thirds (Micro 4/3) is available. Panasonic and Olympus have jointly developed it. These are used by the so-called mirrorless cameras such as Panasonic Lumix G7.

Mirrorless cameras are the same as DSLR except that they have an electronic or hybrid viewfinder. Mirrorless Micro 4/3 cameras are widely considered the best travel cameras and not confused with Bridge Cameras but more as compact and high tech DSLRs.

Priced at INR 260,000, the Olympus OM-D E-M1X Mirrorless Micro 4/3 is more expensive than most premium full-size traditional DSLRs.

You can buy any type of format as a beginner. Conversion tables for focal lengths are readily available online, and there is no particular disadvantage associated with either of these three formats.

Sensor Size by Megapixels

One megapixel is one million pixels. A pixel has no particular size. For example, an iPhone 8 Plus with a 6.24-inch screen has a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. A Samsung 43 inch television also has 1920 x 1080 pixels!

Again an INR 7,000 point and shoot camera can have a 20 MP camera, and a Canon EOS 1500D priced at INR 26,000 also has a 20 MP camera.

So, all pixels are not the same. What matters is the size of the pixel in tandem with the number of pixels.A 10 MP Nikon D3000 will give far better images than a 20 MP point and shoot.

It is like calories. 200 calories from a healthy chicken salad are not the same as 200 calories from a chocolate pastry!

It is easier to understand it through print size. An 8 x 10 inch photo would need about 8 x 10 x 320 x 320 = 8.2 million pixels. Photos can rarely hold more than 320 pixels per sq inch.

Why then do cameras have 20 to 40 MP sensors? Since you may go for cropping. Take a larger image and keep only the center. Crop out 40% of the boundary. Therefore, to have a high quality 8 x 10, you need a 12 x 15 inches photo, and that requires 19 MP.

Most DSLRs top out at 24 MP, and few premium models have 45-50 MP sensors, such as the Nikon D850 and Canon EOS 5DS.

Between 16-24 MP is acceptable for most beginners and enthusiasts.

Image Processor:

The sensor only captures the light. It still has to be converted into data, and that data is stored as a file. The data captured by the sensor is called a RAW image. The RAW is processed and saved as a JPEG.

When the image is processed, it makes the photo look “nicer.” It can automatically fix minor issues with lighting and any other problems and make it better than it actually is in RAW format.

What is vital is how advanced the image processor is. The necessity of a better processor, in this case, is the same reason why you need to upgrade your laptop every 6 years. There is a better processor in the market that does the job in less time.

Essentially a DSLR captures still or video and converts it to data files. Thus it is acting just like a computer.

When the first digital cameras rolled around about 15 years ago, the highest ISO (light sensitivity) was 1600. Now it is in the range of 40,000, thanks to advanced image processors. The higher the ISO, the better will be the image in low light.

The other function of advanced image processors is autofocus. Modern DSLRs are not only able to focus on stills but also track moving subjects. It is especially needed for wildlife and sports photography. The image processor can predict the movement of the target and focus with great precision.

The same holds for face shots. It is the image processor that recognizes the face, eye, and smile. The more advanced the image processor, the better the camera. Nikon currently uses Expeed version 4, 5, 6, and Canon uses Digic 6, 7, 8 image processors.

The more expensive the camera, the more recent and improved the processor, and there is tiny to select apart from increasing the budget.

Type of Sensor:

Charge-Coupled Device or CCD sensors use a single amplifier for all the pixels. They are more expensive and rarely found in modern DSLRs. CCDs produce better images, with more depth of colour, and work well in low light. However, they are slower at capturing images.

Nearly every camera from smartphones to expensive professional gear uses Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor or CMOS sensors. These sensors use a discrete amplifier for each pixel and can work much faster. They are also more inexpensive to manufacture.

The latest trend is towards Back-Illuminated CMOS or BSI-CMOS. They can take pictures at even higher ISO than usually available and produce the sharpest images. The Nikon Z6 and D850 use BSI-CMOS.

Like all technological advancements, you can expect that in 5 years, it will become a feature available with every new DSLR.

Image Stabilisers:

If your hands shake while you take a photo, what is the result? A blurry image. Thankfully there is more than one way to achieve image stabilization. The first one is obviously not to hold the camera but use a tripod! This is an old school and works remarkably well.

But as always, there are other ways which let you have image stabilization without being tied to a tripod. There can be two types of image stabilization – lens-based and inside the camera.

Types of Image Stabilization

1. Lens-based Stabilization

Lens-based stabilization such as Nikon VR I and II and Canon IS uses a floating lens arrangement.

A select group of elements (individual lenses inside the barrel are technically called elements) inside the camera lens system can move. When image stabilization is off, these special lenses are fixed and allow light to pass normally through them.

When image stabilization is switched on, gyroscopes in the lens that detect tiny movements of the hand and aided by a microcomputer move the unique group of image stabilization lenses slightly to compensate.

This extends as a continuous process and provides blur-free images. You can get between 2-4 stops of image stabilization. What does it mean? If you could operate it without VR at 1/125, then with VR, you can probably try for 1/8 and still have blur-free images. More exposure time means better pictures in low light.

2. In-camera Stabilisation

In this part of the image stabilization, the camera’s gyroscopes move the sensor, just like the gyroscopes in the lens system moved the lens.

Which one do you need?

In-camera stabilization works for all lenses regardless if they have their own image stabilization or not. But you cannot find this feature in Canon and Nikon, which effectively takes out more than 80% or more of camera models from your list of preferred cameras!

Cameras from Olympus, Sony, and Pentax use in-body stabilization. The Panasonic Lumix GH series, for example, has in-body stabilization that works in tandem with Panasonic lens-based stabilization for perfect shots every time.

• ISO

ISO means sensitivity to light. In bright sunlight, you would need an ISO of 100. In a dark room, an ISO of about 9,000 is required. ISO varies with shutter speed and aperture and is measured together in “stops.” One “stop” is double the sensitivity.

So if your camera is set for ISO 3200, the aperture at f/2.8, exposure of 1/30th of a second, then ISO 1600 would mean halving the sensitivity and being compensated if you increase exposure 1/15th and/or increase the aperture to f/2.8.

The perfect combination is a matter of knowledge and experience to produce the pictures with the most detail, best colour reproduction, and field depth. The more ISO that a DSLR is capable of, the better it is. Unlike FPS (given below), this is one feature to aim for.

• HDR

If you don’t know what HDR is, you can test it out first on any smartphone. This feature produces a more full-bodied image. The human eye is what the camera seeks to imitate. But our eyes are remarkably versatile.

If you have a dim table lamp in a dark room, your eyes can see the diffused glow of the bulb under the lampshade (which is the brightest point in the entire room) and also quite a bit of the detail in the shadows (such as an outline of books on the bookshelf).

Snap a photo of the room with your smartphone with HDR off. The picture would show the table lamp, but not much else. This is because the camera is terrible at seeing the visual range and can only take photos if the entire subject is equally lit.

Turn on HDR, and you will find that the image is better with greater detail from dark corners. There are several ways in which the HDR works. One of them is to take images at different exposures and combine them.

The HDR feature is built into many DSLRs, but the cheapest DSLRs don’t offer it yet.

• FPS

This is important in wildlife or sports photography when you are taking multiple images of a moving subject. Fps stands for frames per second. Top-end cameras offer 10-15 fps, while low-end models offer 2 fps.

It depends on several factors. Obviously, after every image, the shutter has to cock itself again. That is, the camera must return to the stage where it can take another picture. This is time-consuming. Besides, the processor needs to manage the image last taken.

And the buffer memory has to write to the disk. This is a complex sequence, and high fps is expensive. You should only consider high fps if you are thinking of wildlife photography.

But since most people do not usually spend much time photographing leopards chase down a deer, investing in high fps as a desirable feature is unnecessary.

• Video

Almost every modern DSLR in the market can double up as a professional-grade video camera. Black Swan (2010) and The Avengers (2012) are two very well known Hollywood movies shot using DSLR cameras.

All models can provide a 1920 x 1080 full HD video. Few can deliver 3840 x 2160 or 4k video. Obviously, the latter would need a 45 MP sensor while a 20 MP sensor is good enough for full HD.

• Categories

Like cars have Class B, C, D (Hyundai Xcent, Honda City, Skoda Superb respectively), DSLRs can be classified into basic, semi-professional, and professional grades. This is not merely a matter of snob value but has to do with the features and complexity. It is best to start at the bottom and work up if you want to learn photography well.

Basic DSLRs – This includes models such as the Nikon D3500 and Canon EOS 1500D priced less than INR 30,000 (body). They are designed to be simple, fundamental and to produce exceptional images with minimum effort.

Usually, they have pentamirror and not the more expensive pentaprism reflex mechanism. The body is also not weatherproofed and traditionally made from polycarbonate plastic. Also, they would be APS-C and cropped format and have low burst speed capabilities. Very often, these are bundled with a kit 55-200 mm lens.

Mid-level DSLRs – They are sturdy and allow greater flexibility. It is not necessary that they have larger sensors, but they do have a higher ISO range. Also, quite a few of them are full-frame models. Nikon D7500 and Canon EOS 80D are good examples.

They are well made and feel heavy. The body is weatherproof, and the camera can take 8 fps burst shots and are a great all-around device that you can be proud of.

Professional DSLRs – Names that readily come to mind are Canon 5D Mark IV and Nikon D850. They offer full-frame sensors, above 10 fps burst shots, 4k videos, metal alloy body, fully weather-proof, and other expensive features like backlit CMOS sensors.

The prices are high at about INR 200,000 for the models mentioned above. It can range all the way to a Hasselblad X1D at INR 600,000 and more!

• Connectivity

All DSLRs have Bluetooth, most have Wifi, and some have NFC. You need these to download the photos to a laptop or upload them to Google Drive or any other cloud storage platform at the end of the day

Even if an inexpensive model does not have NFC, Wifi is more than enough to provide you suitable connectivity.

The Canon vs. Nikon Debate

Assuming you are not buying a Sony, Panasonic, or Olympus and choose to buy a model from Canon or Nikon (the market leaders), this is a valid point that a buying guide should have.

As mentioned above, there is an 80% likelihood that you will end up with one of these two brands. Usually, it is difficult to migrate from one to the other and not as easy as switchover from a Mercedes to a BMW. It is more like Airbus vs. Boeing.

Canon

• Canon is a result of meticulous engineering. It is perfect in the sense that anything built by scientists and engineers is excellent.
• Canon is widely reputed as the more prominent name in photography.
• Canon is more readily available. You will also find more photographers in India using Canon.
• Most Canon lenses are manufactured in Japan.

Nikon

• They appear to be more intuitive and better/easier to use. It is as if photographers and not optical engineers design them.
• A Nikon would always be slightly more expensive than an equivalent Canon. At least that is the general market perception.
• Most Nikon lenses are manufactured in China except for a few of the Gold Ring range.

Accessories:

You need a lot of accessories, even as a beginner.

• The very first thing you have to buy is a good carry case. You could buy an inexpensive one from AmazonBasics or a pricey one from Think Tank.
• A fast memory card like the SanDisk Extreme Pro series can transfer speeds up to 150MB/sec.
• A good quality flash such as Neewer TT560. It is best to buy a flash made by the camera manufacturing company if possible.
• A complete filter kit including UV, Polarizing, Neutral Density, and Color Correcting.
• A tripod.

Lenses:

You would, of course, need lenses. An excellent all-around lens would be one with autofocus and 70-300 mm focal length. The aperture range should be from f/4-5.6.

You can supplement this with a prime lens or an all-purpose lens. The additional purchase would include a good wide-angle lens, but that comes far later and is seldom used with entry-level DSLRs.

You can’t use any lens with any camera. They need to be from the same manufacturer and also have the same mount type.

To a certain extent, you can use third-party lenses, but only if they are reviewed for use with your camera.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which is the Best DSLR camera to buy for beginners in 2021?

With the advancement in technology, the manufacturers have stormed the market with more and more cameras which makes it difficult for buyers/beginners to select a particular option, There are various features which are taken into consideration before selecting a particular camera such as the  Budget, ISO, Shutter Speed, Viewfinder, Weight, SLR  or Image quality. Hence here is the best camera for beginners: Canon EOS Rebel T8i – it has been released during the spring of 2021 with a budget-friendly price and also provides refreshing improvements in the tried and true 24MP package in faster bursts, better video, and upgraded autofocusing. After buying your camera, the next thing that you should do is to learn how to use DSLR camera for beginners.

2. Is it worth getting a DSLR camera?

If you are passionate about pursuing photography or videography as a career option or if you are in the vocation, it is totally worth getting a DSLR Camera. Moreover, now that content creation is at its peak where a lot of young and old people are doing vlogging, blogging, posting pictures and videos. It is imperative of them to own a camera of decent quality which will fetch them good content and further good money.

Additionally, if you are just an enthusiast, who likes and collects pictures of objects or people because that brings you joy, then the camera is also worth getting. Although smartphones nowadays come with good quality lenses, it is far from the settings and features provided by the professional camera.

3. What is the best DSLR camera for video?

In the given article, you will find 10 DSLR cameras best for a user which also mentions the various features which people look for while choosing a laptop. There are various features which a buyer should look for while buying a DSLR camera for videos like stabilization, focusing system, max video resolution, size, weight, battery life, crop factor, ports, slow motion and lens mount. According to me, Canon EOS 80D is the best camera for video as it provides Full HD video resolution along with full manual control and selectable frame rates (great for precision and high-quality video work).

4. Is Nikon sharper than Canon?

The answer in precise or concise terms is No. There’s as such no real difference in sharpness between both Nikon and Canon cameras. The difference is of the lens, technique, or processing as Canon offers smoother autofocus and lenses specifically for cinema. During the situation of choosing between camera brands, it’s best to compare each camera individually; Nikon may have the best entry level DSLR whereas Canon may have a best DSLR for sports. Hence, both having an edge over one another.

5. Is Canon or Nikon better for beginners?

Well, this a question which is very difficult to answer. Canon and Nikon both have good brand names and any beginner would be happy to have a camera from either of the two brands. Usually, in most circumstances, a beginner should prefer a Nikon camera because it i’s cheaper and the settings, functioning and terminology are simpler than Canon. Thus, making it a more preferred camera. But both give tough competition to each other and are always in high demand in the market.